The main goal of the first step in the personal-selling process is to

A) find as many potential customers as possible.
B) find qualified prospects.
C) identify a customer's product needs.
D) identify a firm's key decision makers.
E) have the salesperson meet the prospective customer.

The first step in the personal-selling process is prospecting, which involves finding qualified prospects or potential customers who have a need for the product, the authority to buy, and the resources to make the purchase. This step is crucial for efficiently allocating sales efforts to those most likely to buy.